Learn Veterinary Care without Pharmaceuticals

Preventative health care with natural methods can save time, money and improve the animal's overall well-being

Work with and care for animals in a more natural and holistic manner

Avoid chemical toxicity and adverse reactions in your pets and children

Natural Heath Care doesn't solve every problem, but this course can help you better understand what it can offer, empowering you to make wiser, more informed decisions

The course was developed by a team of highly qualified and experienced animal health experts, in conjunction with professionally qualified experts in animal welfare and natural therapies. It is a unique course, developed and tutored by unique people.

The course covers holistic therapies such as naturopathy, homeopathy, herbal treatments, tactile therapy, and natural nutrition. It covers a range of conditions that affect domestic animals and provides natural ideas and solutions for treating these conditions.

Student comment: I would recommend this course to anybody who is interested in animals, has animals and/or likes to work with animals. This is something I can use for the rest of my life and I can also use this basic knowledge for further study. The course is very pleasant and the tutors are motivating and very fast. So all in all a great learning experience!Gabriele Klinnert, Australia - Natural Health Care for Animals course.

Evaluate symptoms of ill-health displayed by an animal, determine the problem and decide on a natural course of treatment for the specific health problem suffered by the animal. Develop a management plan that the owner of the animal can undertake to help treat the problem and relieve associated pain and discomfort.

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

Explain the principles and benefits of natural animal health care

Recognise common signs of ill health in different animals

Explain the principles of natural nutrition for animals.

Describe requirements for preventative health care in animals.

Recognise common diseases, health problems and natural treatments for those problems in domestic animals

Develop an understanding of natural treatments for health problems in animals

Recognise some common diseases, health problems and natural treatments for those problems in livestock.

Develop a natural treatment plan for a specific health problem of an animal

What are Holistic Treatments?

Holistic Treatment or “Holistic Therapies” are designed to treat the whole patient whether it be animal or human as opposed to the specific symptom they may be displaying. Holistic treatment is thought to treat the illness by boosting the immune system and overall health of the animal, which will in turn treat any secondary illnesses.

The foundation of holistic treatment is optimal nutrition. This is the “fuel” for the body and therefore needs to contain all of the essential components that an animal needs to boost its immune system and maintain health. We look at natural nutrition in more detail later in the course.

Other important elements of the holistic treatment of ailments and diseases in animals include naturopathy, herbal treatments, tactile therapy and homeopathy.

Prevention is Always the Best Control

Disease is one of the greatest risks of livestock health. The risk of disease should be minimised so as to avoid costly treatment and/or potentially having to destroy infected animals.

The main source of many diseases and parasites are the individual animals themselves. Animals that may have been infected by a disease when young might still carry the disease later in life. These diseases can then be transmitted to younger stock that come into contact with these older animals. However, steps can be taken to reduce the chance of disease spreading through a herd or flock.

Housing or shelter
Areas and buildings where animals are grouped together for protection are one of the most likely places for diseases to be transmitted. The risk of disease being spread in these areas can be minimised in housing by taking certain steps which include:

Provide good ventilation in permanent housing with adequate spacing between animals - This prevents the temperature rising to a point which may cause heat stress to the animals and also reduces the likelihood of respiratory diseases spreading between the animals.

Keep permanent housing free of faecal contamination – Faecal build-up is a potential source of pathogenic build-up and attracts flies to the shelter. Regularly clean floors with disinfectant. Ensure that flooring and walls are free of cracks. Place food and water away from where they may be contaminated by faecal matter.

Temporary housing should be treated in the same manner. Animals should be provided with adequate space in clean housing. It is beneficial to rotate the holding areas regularly.

General Hygiene

Ensure that all equipment used with animals are kept clean and disinfected. If you do not wish to use disinfectant it is paramount that equipment is kept clean and free from organic contaminants. Harnesses and other equipment should be checked regularly to ensure that they fit correctly and are not causing stress to the animal.

If farmers are administering drugs to animals themselves, they need to ensure that all syringes and needles are kept sterile. Contaminated needles can pass pathogens from one animal to the next.

Unhealthy animals can require grooming by the farmer to ensure they are kept clean. If this is not done, they may become infested with ectoparasites such as ticks or mites. Skin which is soiled by faeces can also attract flies leading to risk of myiasis (fly-strike). Wound care is also important in maintaining health. Small cuts and wounds should heal themselves as long as they are kept clean. Those which become septic may require antibiotics.

It is important for farmers to be aware of seasonal arthropod infestations and how these should be managed. Farmers should also gain knowledge of poisonous or noxious plants in the region. Animals introduced to a new pasture might not avoid poisonous plants, so farmers should restrict their grazing time each day to reduce the chance of poisoning. There is also a danger when pastures are overgrazed and the deeper-rooted noxious plants are the only ones available for grazing. Farmers should provide adequate fodder in different areas. This also avoids congregation around one feed source which can increase the risk of disease being spread.

What can I do after studying this course?

Use this unit as credits towards a qualification.

Use the knowledge gained in the unit to better care for your animals using informed decisions.

Apply your new skills on your hobby farm.

Apply your skills on your organic farm.

Supplementary Reading

The school's bookshop is publishing a new e book every few weeks, providing our students with a reliable and up to date source of supplementary reading material.

At a time when many publishers are suffering, bookshops are closing and less printed books are being published; we believe it is important to ensure students can get books that they are referred to

by their tutors, and the only real way to ensure this is to have our staff write and publish the titles.

In addition, these books are written with the courses in mind; and as such are more in line with your needs as a student.

Need assistance?

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Alison Pearce

University Lecturer, Quality Assurance Manager, Writer and Research Technician. Alison originally graduated with an honors degree in science from university and beyond that has completed post graduate qualifications in education and eco-tourism. She has m

Lyn Quirk

M.Prof.Ed.; Adv.Dip.Compl.Med (Naturopathy); Adv.Dip.Sports Therapy
Over 30 years as Health Club Manager, Fitness Professional, Teacher, Coach and Business manager in health, fitness and leisure industries. As business owner and former department head fo

Dr. Gareth Pearce

Veterinary scientist and surgeon with expertise in agriculture and environmental science, with over 25 years of experience in teaching and research in agriculture, veterinary medicine, wildlife ecology and conservation in the UK, Australia and New Zealand

Horse CareThis book is an accumulation of information from biology, agricultural science and veterinary medicine. It looks to explore and explain the fundamentals of appropriate horse care aims and techniques. In doing so it will consider horsemanship as a combinat

Marine AnimalsWith colour photos splashed throughout, this Marine Animals e-book is designed to provide a guide for some of the more common animals found in marine ecosystems around the world. Learn about the creatures hidden by the other 70% of the earth's surface. Ex

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